As we grow older, our lives become more and more difficult every day. Being teenagers with pressure from friends, stress about our future and daily drama (whether you are involved or not), can be a lot to deal with. However, these five ingredients to a life full of happiness can have you seeing brighter days in no time.

You are in control of your own happiness.
The most important thing to remember is that you have complete control of your life. Even though you cannot control what happens in your day, you can control how you react to it. Letting bad situations ruin your day is a waste of time that could have been spent being positive. We all have bad moments, bad days, bad weeks and even a bad month. However, you can’t give whatever the issue is power to take away your happiness.

Your opinion of yourself is the only one that matters.
It’s very easy to not only compare yourself to others but also be compared. We are our own hardest critics. Sometimes it is necessary to take time to realize how incredibly unique you are. There is no one else in the world like you. You should stop comparing yourself to others and simply love yourself as you are. The sad reality of it all is that almost everyone in high school is going to be talked about at some point, but when you truly love yourself, no one else’s opinion can affect you. When you feel confident and comfortable in your own skin, you will radiate even more beauty and happiness.

Leave the past in the past.
Not everything in life is going to be easy. When we experience bad moments in our lives, we naturally cling to them in fear. However, the best way to feel better about the bad times in our lives would be to let them go. The past is the past. We cannot go back and change it or make it not happen at all. It happened and now the best route to your happiness is to move past it with a positive attitude. Don’t look back at the problem; move on from it with the optimistic thoughts of all the great things that can now happen in your future. Remember one closed door means another one opens. You will feel a great weight lifted off your shoulders.

Kindness is a great trait.
Everyone has his or her own story. We can’t look at ourselves as being the only ones going through hard times. We shouldn’t only worry about our own happiness but also the happiness of others. Sometimes that alone is enough to help us feel better. Seeing others happy and knowing that you could have even the littlest impact on people by simply being kind can have a big effect on you. We all know the saying “kill them with kindness,” and it is actually very true. No matter how mean someone is to you or how much you don’t like him or her, just be kind. You can inspire them to be kinder but more importantly you won’t feel the heaviness of rude reactions or the regret of something you said or did. Kindness is something that helps encourage happiness in you and others.

Happy thoughts equal happy days.
Positivity is an important aspect in our everyday lives. Walking around grumpy with a frown on your face all day will not make your day any happier. The happier thoughts you think, the more positive you will feel. Remembering little affirmations every day such as “I woke up today, and that is reason enough to make it a good day” and “every moment is an opportunity to smile” can instantly cure a bad attitude. Negativity is easily avoidable when you come to the conclusion that your thoughts control your day. When you want happiness you should strive for it with every opportunity, and the easiest way to do this is within our own minds.